Musing on Mother's Day

She lends her body for our creation.

A nine month lease in our warm first home.

She coos as she washes and dresses us in cool shade.

We stare up, defenseless, for she is our first protector

She screams with excitement when we pull up, and take that first tentative step,

But then she pauses, for that is our first step toward independence,

And away from her. And her eyes glisten.

Her laughter is carried upon the ocean breeze as we skitter like the Sand Piper out with the tide

and then back in again, never quite out running the wave.

She sweeps us up into her arms for a loving embrace,

and lets the bicycle go with a final push and the words of encouragement, “you can do it.”

She nurses our scrapes and bruises with comforting words.

She feeds our stomachs when we are hungry,

and nourishes our souls when we ache.

And somehow manages the laundry.

She delivers us where we need to be

Until one day we deliver ourselves.

She pauses again.

We look to the future, but she remembers.

As our lives speed up, she is there to support

In so many ways.

We don’t fully appreciate and give little thanks,

for that is the way.

Finally, her eyes glisten as we

walk down the aisle.

For us it is a beginning

but for her an ending.

And the process starts anew.

For most this is the dawn of understanding.

Time moves on and we make those sacrifices

and we reflect more and more upon her importance…

We become amazed at the miracle of our mother: what she did for us. What she means to us.

And our eyes glisten.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Copyright Luke Saucier May, 2011